Arms Of The Ocean
by FearTheKeira
Summary: When a horrific storm leaves Rin struggling under the weight of the ocean, he knows he is going to drown. Yet he wakes up in a small cave with a blue eyed boy watching over him. However, this is no ordinary boy. Rin can tell straight away. After all, he doesn't know any other boys with silvery blue mermaid tails instead of legs. Rintori, mermaid AU.
1. Chapter 1

Should I really be starting yet another fic when I already have so many others on my plate? No. Could I resist? Hell no! I absolutely adore this trope and have been highly disappointed at the lack of mermaid/merman fics in the Free! fandom. C'mon guys, no merfolk fics for the _swimming_ anime? Thus, I have taken it upon myself to write one! Don't expect this fic to be as long as some of my others, I definitely want to keep it shorter. But it will still be a multi-chapter fic, just so you know. :)

* * *

><p>The ship bucked and plunged as the sea raged around them. Rin clenched his teeth, the muscles in his arms aching from clinging so tightly. Fear swelled within him and he growled, trying to deny the fear any power over him. But it was no use. He had been around enough ships and boats and storms to know when something was going wrong.<p>

Right now, something was terribly wrong.

The shouts of the crew up on deck got louder and more frantic as the storm raged more violently. A particularly savage plunge sent Rin's feet sliding out from underneath him and a yell escaped his lips as the ship around him turned on its side. Only the desperate strength of his hands kept him holding on to the bunks bolted to the walls.

The door at the top of the stairs above him suddenly burst open and water flooded down. Rin scrunched his eyes shut and braced himself as the water slammed into him. It was only for a moment, only until the ship righted itself. Then the water would drain away and he would be able to breathe again.

The water was not draining away, nor was the ship righting itself. It just kept pouring in, until Rin felt it enveloping his body instead of just washing over him. His eyes wrenched open in horror, comprehension sinking into his mind.

This much water could only mean one thing. The ship was sinking.

An emergency alarm shrieked through the air and panic shot through him, heightening every sense as his body flooded with adrenaline. Rin had to get out of here before it was too late! Yet the ship was still tilted at an extreme angle. How would he climb out with all this water pouring in on top of him?

He had to try! No matter how difficult or overwhelming the situation seemed to be, Rin could not give up without fighting for his own survival! So he snarled as he pulled with his arms, dragging himself up against the flow of water and pressing his body against a bunk. The rising water buoyed higher around him and he kicked his legs, swimming up as far as the water would allow. Then he was climbing again, grabbing whatever he could reach and dragging himself up.

It wasn't going to be enough. Debris was falling into the cabin along with the sea water now and Rin flinched to the side, narrowly avoiding being struck by what appeared to be a plastic chair.

The ship lurched violently and Rin cried out, almost losing his grip. The emergency alarm was still shrieking frantically and he wondered if anyone had managed to escape. Had anyone survived this catastrophe? Had everyone else made it to the lifeboats? Was he the only one still clinging on to the wreck, breaths shallow and rapid in his chest as his heart rattled in terror?

More debris fell into the cabin and Rin ducked, avoiding a beam that would have taken his head off. Yet his leg flung out in compensation for the movement and something slammed into it. He screamed as skin tore open and blood flowed freely.

He wasn't going to make it. The terrible realisation filled his mind with certainty and Rin began to gasp as sobs rose in his throat. No, he couldn't allow them! He didn't have time to cry, he had to escape! Why was he wasting his time just clinging to the wall like this? He should be climbing, escaping, fighting for his life!

Calling on sheer determination, Rin forced himself on. The railing beside the stairs became his lifeline and he climbed up it, hand over hand, until he reached the doorway. Rin hauled himself out into the raging storm and just sat on the door frame, sucking deep breaths in as relief washed over him. He had made it this far. Perhaps he could escape after all!

The ship fell so suddenly and violently that Rin could never have prepared for it. His body was thrown through the air and he didn't even have time to scream as his arms spun wildly, searching for a handhold that never came. He crashed into the black ocean and was instantly sucked under the angry, churning waves.

Rin tried to fight it, he tried to swim! But it was no use. The ocean was too powerful for him, just as it had been all those years ago for his father.

His lungs burned with the need to breathe but the surface was nowhere in sight. Everything was just churning water, deafening his ears and confusing his senses. Rin struck out, tried to suck in some air. Water rushed into his lungs and he coughed but no air came to his salvation. Pain ripped through his entire body and he wished he had cried earlier, wished he had allowed himself that emotional outlet. There was nothing now, no chance of survival.

His struggles lessened as his vision darkened even though his eyelids stayed open. The last thing that Rin was aware of before the depths swallowed him was a light pressure on his waist, almost like an arm curling into an embrace.

* * *

><p>The ground was hard underneath him, sending irritating messages of discomfort through his body. A dull ache throbbed through his right leg and he tensed, consumed with the sudden need to move his position. Rin slowly blinked his eyes open, staring blankly in utter confusion.<p>

This was not the afterlife. This was a small, slightly damp cave with a sliver of pale light reaching down to him to him from a crack in the rocks far above. Propping himself up on one elbow, Rin surveyed the area and wondered how on earth he had gotten here.

He was lying on a small, beach-like slope. Water lapped at the edge, roughly three feet away from him. The edge of the slope was at least ten feet wide and a glance behind him showed the cave stretching back to around fifteen to twenty feet. A thin layer of rough sand scratched against him. Below it was smooth rock that seemed to bear a ripple pattern upon it. Rin's mouth fell open as he finally comprehended that he was very much alive, despite his terrifying memories of drowning.

His leg throbbed again and Rin looked down to examine the wound but stopped in surprise. Green seaweed was wrapped around his right shin, covering the entire wound in a way that could not possibly be anything but deliberate. But that was crazy! That would suggest that his presence here was no mere accident!

Yet … what other explanation was there? Rin had blacked out. He should have succumbed to drowning mere moments after losing consciousness! Somehow he had woken up here, alive and – for the moment – safe. There was no way he could have gotten here on his own. Neither could he simply have been washed up. Someone had to have helped him.

What kind of person would put him in a cave with seaweed around his leg instead of taking him to the shore, or at the very least another ship? No, this still didn't make sense.

He needed more answers but without anyone to give them to him, Rin wasn't getting anywhere. He sighed in irritation as he sat up properly to reach his leg, gently peeling the seaweed off.

The gash on his leg was deep and at least eight inches in length. His stomach turned and Rin instantly wrapped the seaweed back around it, despite the niggling thought that the marine flora would probably introduce more bacteria to the wound than protect it. The gash wasn't bleeding at the moment and he was terribly glad of that. Yet Rin was under no illusions that such an injury would require stitches.

So, he was alive and in a cave. Yet he was trapped. His leg hurt too much to attempt swimming for freedom and there was no other way out.

He would just have to wait. Rin groaned and slumped back on the hard ground. Surely whoever brought him here would come back. They'd have to return! All Rin had to do was wait for them, then demand an explanation. Not anticipating how exhausted his body was, Rin closed his eyes and quickly slipped into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>There was someone watching him. Rin jerked upright with a gasp as he stared at the place where the face had been. Yet there was nothing there now, only the dancing surface of the water, twitching as though it had been recently disturbed. He dragged a hand across his face, confused and somewhat convinced that he had not been dreaming. He had seen someone! So where were they?<p>

Rin shifted to get comfortable and froze as he noticed what was out of place. The seaweed around his leg had been replaced with a strange mass of plant life that he could only guess was sea grass. His stomach clenched in nerves as he looked to his left. An upturned turtle shell rested beside his hand with a small collection of mussels and oysters. Last but not least, a woven blanket of seaweed, grass and reeds was draped over him.

"What the hell?" Rin muttered. This only confirmed that he had definitely seen someone, yet left him with more questions than he started with.

No matter how many times he rolled the new questions around his head, he could not make heads or tails of them. Rin eventually gave up and picked up the turtle shell, suspiciously sniffing the food and deliberating whether he should risk it or not. None of it smelled off, so he started with a mussel.

A grimace passed over Rin's face as he swallowed the raw sea food. He had always preferred his sea food cooked and mussels were no exception. Oysters were far easier to stomach raw, so he hurried through the other mussels before slurping the oysters down.

With the food gone, Rin put the turtle shell aside – deliberately ignoring how weird it was to use a turtle shell as a plate – and cast his gaze around the small cave once more. His leg was still too sore to move and he knew that any movement would aggravate the wound and increase the risk of bleeding. That was the last thing he needed!

So he sat there and pondered his predicament yet again.

Obviously, whoever had brought him here had no intention of revealing their identity just yet. But Rin wasn't satisfied with that. He had questions that demanded answer and he would have them!

His practical nature kicked in and Rin found himself examining his plant-blanket closely. His hands started moving on their own and before long, he had weighted the corners with the empty mussel and oyster shells. He practiced throwing the blanket a few times, adjusted a few things and was finally happy with the way it flew out from his hands.

Rin had his very own net, unknowingly provided by his rescuer. He settled it over himself with his hands holding it at just the right positions. The next time he caught a glimpse of a face, he would be ready.

* * *

><p>He could hear the movements, sense the presence of another person.<p>

Rin lay perfectly still, hardly even daring to breathe as he bided his time and waited for the perfect moment. Daring to crack his right eye open, he caught a glimpse of skin beside him. Adrenaline spiked through him and he knew this was his best opportunity.

Now!

His hands lashed out and his wrists flicked. The blanket-turned-net flew through the air and Rin kept his left hand connected to it, leaning forward to allow it more momentum. The net wrapped around his victim, the mussel and oyster shells effectively tangling amongst the seaweed to lock the net. Rin lunged at his victim, grasping the net tightly and wrenching hard. A cry ripped from his victim as they flew over his head, crashing into the back of the cave. He grinned in victory. If they wanted to escape, they'd have to get past him! Now then-

Rin froze, his eyes running over the frantically wriggling form in pure disbelief. The net had wrapped around his victim's torso, leaving a smooth silvery-blue tail to sweep out from it. Looking up to his victim's face, Rin found a terrified boy with silvery-blue hair staring back at him.

This was not possible.

"Y-you're a mermaid!" he gasped. The boy's blue eyes widened further and he struggled harder. Some of the seaweed and reeds began to break.

What if this creature escaped before Rin got the chance to interrogate him? Surely, if that happened, he would never come back.

"Hey, woah, calm down!" Rin said and held his hands up in reassurance. "I don't wanna hurt you, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't run away again. Calm down! I'll let you out of the net, but you have to promise not to run away from me. Okay?"

He edged towards the boy who instantly shrank back, tail slapping warningly on the ground between them. Rin paused and let his hands fall back to his sides. The boy continued to struggle but gradually slowed as his initial panic wore off. They both sat there, staring at each other in a stalemate.

"I'm sorry," Rin said slowly, watching the boy closely for any signs of rebellion or understanding. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know why you brought me here instead of taking me back to shore. But now that I see what you are, a lot of this makes more sense." He hesitated. "Can you understand me?"

The boy gave no indication that he did, body still rigid in fear and sharply watching Rin's every move. Deciding to take a risk, Rin shuffled a little closer, wincing as the movement jostled his injury.

A high-pitched whistle sang out of the boy's throat and Rin stopped, amazement all over his face. The boy glanced pointedly at his leg and Rin suddenly realised the boy was warning him, telling him no to move. He gave a wry smile.

"It's alright. I'm okay. But I said I'd let you out of that net. And I'm gonna do that. Just, don't freak out as soon as you're free, okay?"

He reached towards the boy, who slapped his tail on the ground a few more times but gradually eased off. Blue eyes were still blown wide in fear as Rin grasped the net and deftly untangled it. He glanced up at the boy's face before untangling the last shell and quickly moving back, more than eager to try and prove his peaceful intentions.

The boy struggled vigorously, throwing the net off his body and instantly huddling in on himself. He brought his tail up in front of himself for protection, still watching Rin in utter distrust.

"See?" Rin said. "I won't hurt you."

This was insane. Did he realise what he was doing? He was talking to a fucking _ mermaid! _ Or should that be merman? Merboy? Who the hell knew?! These were supposed to be creatures of mythology! And yet here one was, sitting against the back wall of his cave and staring at Rin as though he were the most fearsome creature to ever inhabit the earth.

Could this really be the same person that had rescued him from drowning?

"Thank you, by the way. For saving me. Uh, it was you who saved me, right?" Rin said, deciding to take a different approach.

The boy stared at him before slowly nodding. Rin blinked.

"Wait, so you can understand me?"

A pink tongue flicked nervously over the boy's lips and he opened his mouth.

"Y-yes."

"What? You can speak too?!" Rin exclaimed loudly and the boy shrank back. Rin instantly tried to calm himself, bringing his excitement down a level. "Shit, sorry. Uh, I just figured – I mean, after you whistled or whatever – that you didn't speak any human languages."

"I-I only speak this one." The boy's voice was almost a whisper and he looked down, fingers tangling in themselves.

"Well, thanks. Again. And for uh, my leg. And the food and stuff." Rin wanted to roll his eyes. He was giving himself second-hand embarrassment! But really, how was he meant to act around a mermaid? Merman? Mer- fuck it! Mer-creature! "But I have to ask, why here? Why did you put me in a cave where you would have to take care of me? Wouldn't it be easier to put me on the shore?"

"There wasn't time," said the boy nervously. "You were bleeding so much and the sharks were coming. I had to get you out of the water."

"Oh, well, that makes sense. So, what are you exactly? Mermaid or merman?"

"I d-don't know if I should tell you. It's forbidden to speak to humans."

"Yeah? In that case, I'm pretty sure it'd be forbidden to let one see you, too, huh? We're already past that stage. Answering more questions isn't going to hurt."

The boy seemed to consider Rin's words for a moment before giving in.

"I'm a boy, so you would call me a merman. Generally, we just call each other merfolk."

"I'm Rin Matsuoka. Do you have a name?"

The boy was quiet for a longer moment this time, as though arguing with himself over whether this was a good idea or not. Rin forced himself to keep quiet and not pester the boy to simply spit it out. Even though that was his reflex reaction, something told me that that would not be the right response in this situation.

"Aiichirou. My name is Aiichirou." The boy blushed lightly and looked down at his tail. It was a rather pretty name and Rin felt a smirk wanting to twist his lips as a teasing remark rose to mind. He suppressed both impulses. He didn't know enough about this merman to start teasing him.

"Alright, Aiichirou. What happens next?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as nice as it is in this little cave, I don't really want to stay here forever. I know you've been looking after me so far but it can't last very long. There's no fresh water here and I won't last more than three days without it. So what happens next? How are you going to get me out of here and back to shore?"

The boy blinked and looked even more nervous than before.

"I-I don't know. I never really thought that far ahead. I'm sorry! I should have known that!"

"What, are you kidding? You're a merman! How could you everything that a human needs to survive? It's fine. Oh, speaking of survival, are you okay to be out of the water?" How had Rin not thought of that earlier? He had no idea whether merfolk were classified as mammals or not, nor how that would affect them.

"Yes, this is fine. I just can't let my tail dry out, but it's fine, really!"

One cursory glance over Aiichirou's tail was all it took to see that it was rapidly drying out. Rin gave a low growl of disapproval.

"Like hell it is!"

He shuffled over to the turtle shell and used it to scoop up some water. Without any warning, he flung it on the merman. Aiichirou flinched but quickly relaxed as the water ran over his tail. Rin repeated the process a few times until he was satisfied that the tail was adequately hydrated for now.

"So, getting out of here. How soon can you take me to the shore?"

"W-well, I don't know. There isn't exactly any shore for you to go to around here."

"What are you talking about? I'm in a cave and I can see the sky through that crack up there! There has to be a shore around here."

"Yes, there are cliffs but there's no shore. No beach. Not for several miles. And I don't think it's safe to move you yet. Your leg is too raw. It'll bleed when we try to move you and that will attract sharks. I can't fight off more than one shark on my own."

"Aiichirou. How long have I been here? A day? Less than a day?" Rin needed a time frame.

"Uh, almost a day? I think?"

"Alright. That means I only have two days left before I'll die from lack of hydration. So you need to get me out of here before then!"

"Well, why don't you just drink some water?" Aiichirou suggested.

"There is no fresh water here, I already said that!" Rin replied in irritation.

"No, some of that water!" The merman pointed to the sea water lapping at the edge of Rin's little sloped area. "There's plenty of that water."

"I can't drink salty water! It will dehydrate me and kill me faster!" Rin snapped and Aiichirou instantly curled away from him, eyes darting all over the place.

"O-oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Rin heaved a sigh. What a colossal dick he was! This boy didn't know anything about humans. He shouldn't have been so abrupt with him. But even so, did the boy seriously drink sea water?

"So, do you drink the sea water, then?" Rin asked tentatively.

"Only sometimes," Aiichirou answered. "I don't need to drink very much." The boy shrugged and looked down at his tail again, smoothing a hand over the scales. Rin decided not to focus too much on the boy's strange answers but rather on developing a plan to get him out of here.

"Alright. So I can't drink the water and I only have two days left. But I can't be moved just yet. How about this? We wait one more day, see how my leg is after that. If I need to, I can use my shirt to wrap my leg, which should definitely help. And then you take me to the shore, no matter how far away it is. Will that work?"

"What's a shirt?" Aiichirou asked and Rin blinked at him in surprise. Really, he shouldn't be surprised. The boy wasn't wearing any clothes, only a few decorations that Rin assumed were part of merfolk culture. He pointed to his chest and tugged on the fabric covering him.

"This is a shirt. And these are my pants, or shorts. They're what humans call clothing and we use them to cover our naked bodies."

Curiosity sparked over Aiichirou's face and he moved forward until he could reach a hand out and touch Rin's shirt.

"I thought it was your skin," he said. "I thought it was very strange, for you to have such loose skin. I wondered if I should pull it off but I don't know enough about humans to make that decision. So I left the loose skin on you."

Rin cracked a smile at that.

"It's not skin. Look." He tugged the shirt off, relishing Aiichirou's shocked gasp and wide eyes. "Here. It's just a piece of clothing. Anyone can wear a shirt. Even you."

"Me? Really?"

Aiichirou stared at the item for a few moments until Rin reached out to help him. Guiding him and giving instructions, Rin helped the boy put the shirt on. It fell loosely around Aiichirou's smaller frame but the merman smiled up at Rin in pure delight.

"I'm wearing a shirt!"

"So you are," Rin said with a chuckle.

Aiichirou modeled the shirt for a few minutes longer, constantly moving as though to appreciate the feel of fabric on his skin. Finally, he reluctantly took it off and handed it back to Rin, who pulled it on.

"Does this mean you're not scared of me anymore?" Rin asked, noting that Aiichirou had not moved away from him yet. The boy flushed bright red and looked away. Rin frowned; perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. "Uh, anyway, about the plan. Do you remember it? Will it work?"

Aiichirou paused to think before nodding.

"Yes, I think it will work. Well, I suppose you don't really have a choice. You'll die without your fresh water."

"Indeed, I will! I'm just glad you're choosing to help me." Rin hesitated and looked the boy in the eye. "Aiichirou? You are going to help me, aren't you? You won't just swim away and never come back once you leave here?"

"Oh no, I would never do that! Of course I'll help you!" The boy's response was so immediate and sincere that Rin couldn't help but smile. He nodded and relaxed.

"Good, that's good to know."

"Um, Rin Matsuoka?"

"Just call me Rin. My full name is too much of a mouthful to try and say every time," he corrected gently.

"Rin," Aiichirou tried the name out. "Is it alright if I go now? I mean, I need to keep my tail wet …"

"Sure," Rin said with a shrug. "You've said you'll help me and I believe you, so of course you can go. And I'm sorry about the whole catching you in the net thing. I just didn't want you to run away."

"It's alright." Aiichirou shuffled around him and Rin watched in amazement as the merman rolled his tail like a worm might do, in order to move himself rather smoothly across the cave floor. The boy didn't hesitate as he reached the water, pushing off the ground with a strong blow from his tail, to slide head-first into the water. Rin sighed and stared at the dark water. He wondered if he had just imagined all this or if he really would see the merman again.

"Rin?" Aiichirou's head abruptly popped out of the water and the man in question jumped slightly.

"Yeah?" he replied and the boy rested his hands on the edge of the slope, chewing his bottom lip pensively.

"If you could shorten my name, what would would it be?"

"Uh, I'd probably just call you Ai." Rin was confused. Where was this coming from?

"Then if I asked you to, would you call me that?"

"Sure." Rin shrugged nonchalantly. "If you want me to. I don't mind."

"Really?" A smile leapt over the boy's face and Rin found himself staring. "Then call me Ai!"

With that, he disappeared under the surface of the water and Rin blinked himself back into awareness. Why had he stared at the merman's face? Why had that smile captivated him so quickly? Rin shook his head violently to dispel the odd thoughts but could not chase the name from his mind.

"Ai."


	2. Chapter 2

Rin craned his head to try and see around Ai and watch what he was doing. The merman was only half out of the water, his torso bent over Rin's injured leg as his tail supported him by lazily swaying back and forth in the water. A large clump of seaweed sat on the rock in front of him and Rin was still trying to come to terms with what Ai was using it for.

The boy selected a new strip of seaweed, rinsed it in the ocean, then raised it to his mouth and licked the whole way along one side. He then proceeded to wrap it saliva-down around Rin's leg. When Rin asked why, he was told that merfolk had healing properties in their saliva – come on, Rin. Everyone knew that – and that Ai had been doing this for him ever since he brought him here. Apparently, something about the seaweed trapped the merman saliva and in turn protected the wound from external bacteria.

It was still a little gross in Rin's mind, but he wasn't complaining. Ai had done so much to help him and if there was even a slight chance that this would help his leg heal, he would accept it.

The process took a while longer, as Ai carefully lined up each strip of seaweed, but finally he leant back and offered Rin a shy smile. Rin took a moment to examine it more closely before returning the smile as he looked back at the boy.

"Thanks, Ai." The merman flushed a light pink at the use of the nickname and ducked down in the water, until only his eyes were left out. Rin raised an eyebrow in amusement but decided not to push the subject. "So, what do you do with all this left over seaweed?" Rin asked and poked the small pile beside him. "Just throw it back or-"

Ai came up out of the water a bit and his hand shot out, grabbing some of the seaweed and stuffing it in his mouth. Rin's face was the perfect picture of horror and disgust.

"Ew! That's nasty!" he cried. Ai looked confused.

"It's just seaweed," the boy said. "It tastes quite good. Do you want some?"

"Ugh, no! Are you crazy? That's raw! Seaweed should be cooked or something, not just eaten like that! And even then, it can't just be any piece of seaweed that you find!" Ai cocked his head to one side as he continued to nibble on the seaweed.

"What is cooked?"

Rin was once again reminded of the vast, stark differences between himself and the boy bobbing in the water in front of him. When they talked, it was so easy to forget Ai was a merman. That is, until he said something like this. Rin shook his head and sighed, wondering how to explain this!

"Cooked is … when you take something raw and put it over fire until it isn't raw anymore." Wow. He winced, entirely aware that such an explanation was entirely sub-par. But it wasn't like Ai would ever have the chance to try cooking food for himself, so Rin supposed it didn't really matter how he described it.

"I don't understand. What is fire?"

Rin groaned and slumped back to lie flat on the ground.

"Rin?" Ai sounded concerned and Rin opened his eyes to see the boy leaning over him, blue eyes wide and small beads of water slowly dripping from his hair.

"I don't know how to explain it to you, Ai. It's too hard to try and describe it without being able to show you."

"Then you can show me!" Ai's face lit up in excitement. "You can take me back with you to the human world and show me how to make something cooked with fire!"

"How?" Rin asked as he arched an eyebrow. "You're a merman, remember? You can't walk on land."

A startled expression slipped over Ai's face and he abruptly drew back, completely submerging himself. Rin was utterly bewildered as two blue eyes watched him for a moment longer before Ai spun in the water and swam away.

"Wait, Ai!" Rin called but it was no use. The merman was gone and Rin was left with absolutely no idea of what he had said or done to provoke such a reaction.

* * *

><p>Tense anticipation filled Rin as Ai examined his leg once again. It had taken quite some time for the merman to come back after his abrupt departure. Rin, of course, questioned him and demanded why he had left so suddenly. Yet Ai dodged every such question and Rin finally got the hint to drop it, sighing in exaggerated annoyance.<p>

Ai had turned his attention to Rin's leg, saying that the second day almost up. Rin licked his lips at those words, acknowledging just how dry his throat was and how thirsty he really felt. So far he had been resolutely ignoring his thirst, yet the reminder of how little time he had left only brought it crashing to the forefront of his mind.

"I think it's healed enough," Ai said reluctantly as he backed away from Rin's leg, sinking back into the water. "But it's hard to tell. I guess we can only try and see how it goes."

Rin nodded and stripped his shirt off.

"Then we should wrap it, to help protect it." With a sudden yank, Rin tore a long strip off his shirt. Ai watched in fascination as the rest of the shirt was torn up before Rin dipped them all in the water. He moved gingerly as he took the first strip and began to wrap it around his exposed wound.

"Here, let me," Ai said and came forward again. Rin sat back and let the merman take over. He moved confidently, fingers tying knots deftly in the fabric. Strip after strip was tied around and Rin tried to wince as the fabric pulled tight against his leg. It hurt, to say the least, but he didn't want to let Ai know that. If he knew, the boy might not let Rin leave the cave yet.

"There," Ai said as he tied the last knot and smiled up at Rin. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Rin replied and swung his legs over the dark water, slowly letting them dangle in. Ai moved back to give him room, waiting expectantly. Rin hesitated. "Ai, how far is it to the surface? How long will I have to hold my breath for?"

"Not long," Ai answered and Rin felt relieved. "Only ten minutes at the most?"

"Wait, what? Ten minutes?!" Rin cried and the merman drew back nervously. "Ai, I can't hold my breath that long! It's impossible!"

"No it's not! That's nothing! I can hold my breath for an hour."

"An hour! Wait, are you saying that merfolk don't have gills? You can't breathe underwater?"

"Of course not!" Ai said in amusement. "I'm not a fish. I'm like a seal! Oh, um, you do know that seals can't breathe underwater, right?"

Rin groaned and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Yes," he growled out and Ai looked relieved. "Okay, so you can't breath underwater but you can hold your breath for an hour, so a ten minute trip is nothing to you. Whereas I can hold my breath for two minutes, maybe three. So, we have a serious problem. How are you going to get me out of here if I can't breathe every two or three minutes?"

A light blush graced Ai's cheeks and Rin was suddenly suspicious of the answer. The boy stared at his fingers as they tangled in the surface of the water, reluctant to meet Rin's gaze.

"W-well, I could always breathe for you."

"Breathe for me?" Rin didn't get it. Ai's eyes flicked up but quickly skittered away.

"I can give you air. Would that work?"

Oh. Now Rin got it. Kind of like mouth to mouth, but underwater. He had the modesty to blush – but only very slightly – in return, suddenly understanding Ai's embarrassment.

Actually, Rin couldn't say that he understood Ai's embarrassment. From all his interactions with the merman so far, he felt it safe to say that they knew nothing about each other. For all he knew, pressing mouths together to exchange air might mean something entirely different to merfolk than it did to humans.

But then why was Ai blushing?

"Okay," Rin said gruffly. "As long as you think you can do it, yeah. That'll work. We'll just have to swim fast."

Ai nodded, still not quite able to meet Rin's gaze. He looked over the injured leg instead.

"You won't be swimming," he said. "I'll swim for you, too."

"Ai, I know how to swim."

"Yes, but you shouldn't move your leg. Besides, I'm fast. Faster than you with your clumsy legs. It'll be easier this way."

"Fine, whatever!" There was no point in arguing. "Let's just get this over and done with, shall we?"

Rin eased himself into the cold water, suppressing a shudder of what was quite possibly fear. He floated next to Ai and they stared at each other for a long moment as Rin took deep, rapid breaths in preparation for the dive.

"Ready?" Ai asked and Rin nodded. "One, two, three!"

They both dove under the water and Ai's hands grasped Rin, pulling him in close. Rin's lips were clamped shut and he kept his eyes open, trying to see where they were going but the water was too dark. Ai kicked his powerful tail and they were shooting through the water at a terrifying speed. Rin found his hands scrabbling, desperate for something to brace against. He ended up with one arm around Ai's neck and the other around his waist, holding on for dear life as they swam.

The seconds ticked by and Rin tried not to think about the tight feeling in his lungs. He tried not to think about the ship wreck, the water slamming him into him and pushing him down, down, ignoring his every attempt to break the surface and breathe again. His muscles tightened and Rin suddenly knew he wasn't going to make it. He had to breathe, now! Bubbles of air were already escaping his mouth!

Ai abruptly stopped swimming and took Rin's face in his hands. Rin didn't have any time to react before the boy pressed their mouths together, forcing Rin's lips open. He gasped on reflex, not noticing as Ai pinched his nose shut. Yet he did notice the wonderful rush of air down into his lungs, soothing the burn and easing his panic.

Ai pulled back, adjusted his grip on Rin and then they were swimming away again, streaking towards the surface. Rin refused to let himself think as he held onto the merman. His lips tingled with the memory of those lips upon him and a pleasant feeling bloomed through his chest. But he wasn't thinking about it! He wouldn't allow himself to understand these feelings! They were dangerous.

They stopped once more to exchange air. Rin felt Ai slowing and made sure to exhale all the stale air in his lungs, turning his head towards the boy and accepting those lips against his own as they delivered more air. Ai backed away a little faster this time and they shot off again.

Would they really make it? Rin thought he could see the surface, glimmering far above them. His lungs burned in sudden desperation for fresh air, not second-hand air.

Ai seemed to get another burst of speed and Rin found himself hanging on tighter as they rushed towards the surface. Yes, they would make it! He stretched out with a hand, eager to embrace the freedom once more.

His head broke the surface and Rin sucked in a deep breath, pushed it out and took in another breath. He hardly noticed as Ai let go of him and bobbed next to him, watching the curious human rituals. Rin laughed and lifted his hands to push his hair out of his face. The air was so sweet!

"Ai, we did it! We made it!" Rin said as he opened his eyes and smiled at the merman. He pretended not to notice the red dusting across the boy's cheek.

"Only part of the way," Ai replied and pointed behind them. "The nearest beach is that way."

Rin followed Ai's fingers to stare up at the towering black cliffs that stretched up towards the sky. Evening had fallen and he shivered involuntarily. Ai was right. They hadn't made it yet. Rin had to get to the shore as fast as possible, before the chill of the water gave him hypothermia. So he reached out to the boy, holding onto his shoulders again and nodding him.

"Let's go, then. Get me there as fast as you can." Ai hesitated.

"The fastest way would be under water. But you can't breathe, so I'll do up-dives."

"What are up-dives?" Rin asked.

"It's simple. You'll hold your breath and we'll swim under for a few seconds. Then we'll come up, you'll get another breath and we'll dive under again. But it happens very fast."

It sounded a lot like breaststroke or butterfly to Rin, so he nodded in acceptance. He was a good swimmer; this should be easy. So Ai plunged in quickly and Rin found himself once again amazed by how fast the slim boy was.

Rin was right, this was easy. Ai didn't keep them under water for longer than ten seconds at a time, seeming to understand that it was easier for Rin to breathe more regularly. He sucked in a deep breath every time his head broke the surface, slowly exhaling it when they were under. And so it continued, the pattern settling and continuing as they swam rapidly along the cliff line.

It was tiring. Rin was not doing any of the work to swim, only breathing. Yet he was beginning to feel like he was swimming a 400m race, lungs getting tired and wanting normal, regular breath instead of deep gulps and slow exhales. Rin steeled himself and forced himself on. He was a swimmer, a damn good one! If he couldn't cope with a little bit of endurance swimming, then he was weaker than he thought!

He could not say how much time passed before Ai slowed, only that he was exhausted beyond belief. The merman kept them both above the surface as he swam and Rin greedily drank the air in, sagging off the boy's shoulders.

"Rin?" Ai asked.

"I'm okay," he said.

"No, Rin, look."

He lifted his head and stared. There was the beach, only a hundred metres away from them. Lights gleamed in the distance behind the beach, hinting at other civilisation. Relief washed through him and he smiled at Ai.

"Well? Are you going to take me in or what?" he asked teasingly. The boy hesitated and a strange feeling spread through Rin. Legends of mermaids flooded into his mind, reminding him how they lured their victims out and drowned them. No, Ai wouldn't do that! Ai had saved him! Yet Rin couldn't shake the sudden nerves that lodged themselves in his gut. "Ai?"

"I … I know I'm a merman and you're a human. But … could I see you again?"

Delight spread through Rin and he struggled to contain it. Yet he allowed the smile that grew even broader on his face.

"Of course, idiot! You didn't think I'd just want to forget about you, did you?" Ai stared down at the water and shrugged and Rin suddenly realised that Ai honestly had not known whether Rin would want to see him again or not. He huffed and tightened his grip on the boy. "Oi. Don't doubt yourself like that! Yes, I want to see you again. I don't know when I'll be able to come back here – I mean, I'll have to get my leg fixed up – but I will come back, Ai. I promise."

"Really?"

"I said I promise, didn't I? Look, how about this? Come back to this beach every day at this time, if you can. I don't know when I'll be able to get back here, but I'll come as soon as I can. Does that sound good?"

Ai nodded and offered a smile before swimming towards the shore. The merman led Rin to a spot to the right of the beach. It was blocked from the rest of the beach by rocks but Rin could see the terrain was fairly easy and it wouldn't be difficult to get back to the main beach. And he wasn't surprised that Ai preferred to come here, where it was sheltered, rather than dropping him off where the boy was fully exposed.

The sand was fine and soft underneath him as Rin found himself gently deposited on the shore. He shuffled himself back a little bit and lifted his right leg out of the water, examining the strips of shirt around it. They had held surprisingly well and only a small amount of blood was trickling out. It seemed Ai's magic saliva had worked better than Rin expected.

"Are you safe now?" Ai asked and Rin glanced over to see the merman sitting to his left. He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I can take care of myself from here. Thanks, Ai."

The boy nodded back, eyes downcast as he chewed his lip in that pensive way once more. Just as Rin was about to ask him what was wrong, Ai moved. He pressed in close to Rin, head tilting back at the last moment and delivering a swift, tender kiss to his lips. Then Ai was gone. He pulled away and thrust off from the ground with his tail, propelling him several metres through the air before splashing into the water and disappearing from view.

Rin could only stare after the boy, shocked as a warm feeling spread through him. His fingers drifted across his lips and his eyes searched the horizon, desperate for another glimpse of the shy merman, but Ai never resurfaced.

* * *

><p>He lingered on the water's edge, staring at the ocean, for far too long. When Rin finally came back to his senses, night had settled in and he was shivering. His leg throbbed and his throat was parched. He needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible.<p>

Easier said than done. Rin's leg was too weak to hold his weight and he almost fell several times as he struggled to stand and walk. The journey to the main beach and then to the streets behind was the most gruelling thing he had ever done and Rin just wanted to give up, to lie down and wait until someone found him.

No, he couldn't do that. He had to get better so he could come back and see Ai again! Rin clenched his teeth in determination and dragged himself on, heaving a sigh of relief as his bare feet hit the firm concrete of the footpath.

There was no-one around at this time of night but that did not stop him from staggering down the street, leaning on posts, fences and shop fronts when he could. Exhaustion began to overtake him again and the thought of lying down and sleeping was becoming more and more enticing with each moment.

Dim recognition entered his mind and Rin slowly realised that he knew where he was. Fresh energy seeped into him and he hurried on. If he was right, the police station was just around here …

He turned a corner and the police station came into view. Rin sighed and struggled on. His vision was swimming by the time his hand hit the door, body weight following to push the door open. The officer behind the front desk looked up in surprise and bewilderment as the half-dead youth practically fell in to the station.

"Help … please, help."

His body hit the ground and Rin let himself drift in and out of consciousness as the police officer leapt to his feet, calling for assistance. The officers leant over him, calling to him and trying to get him to respond but Rin was too tired. He just lay there and let them take care of everything.

An ambulance arrived and paramedics took over, speaking loudly and asking him questions. Rin blinked at them in his moments of consciousness but gave no response. He abruptly gaspd and tried to sit up as unexpected pain flared through his leg.

"Woah, steady! Take it easy!" someone urged him and firm hands rested on his shoulders.

"It's a bad laceration. We need to get it treated quickly."

The pain dulled away to an ache and Rin let himself drift off again. He was faintly aware of his body being moved as the paramedics lifted him onto a gurney and covered him in an emergency blanket. The warmth was pure heaven and he wanted to smile in relief. Sleep came easier now and he didn't stir again until the jolted its way out of the ambulance and he was taken inside the hospital.

The paramedics were replaced by doctors and he was transferred onto a hospital bed. Their voices cut through his foggy mind again and Rin felt a flash of irritation. Why couldn't they just let him sleep? He was tired! The ship he had been on had sunk and he should have drowned! That was a terrible ordeal to go through and he just wanted to rest! Why wouldn't they leave him alone?

A needle pierced his skin and he winced, mumbling something that not even he understood. Through bleary eyes, he slowly comprehended an IV stand beside him. Oh, they were giving him hydration. That was okay. Rin slumped against the bed before a needle stabbed into his leg. He cried out, abruptly sitting up with startling clarity.

"It's alright! Just lay back!" a doctor tried to reassure him but Rin struggled.

"What are you doing to me?" he demanded, voice scratchy and dry.

"Your leg needs closer examination but it will be painful! We're simply giving you some local anaesthetic to numb the area first! Alright?"

"What, no stitches?"

"The wound is too old for stitches. We need to let it heal on its own, to reduce the risk of infection. Though I would say you already have an infection of some sort. The skin is very red. But the wound is so clean! I don't understand that. Do you know how it happened?"

"Sea. The sea," Rin said and began to feel drowsy again. He dropped down to his elbows.

"What, you washed it in the ocean?"

"No, it happened in the ocean. I … I was shipwrecked. I just washed up." The doctor was staring at him as though he didn't quite believe him but Rin supposed that was no surprise. He sounded rather delirious to his own ears.

"Can you tell me anything else? Your name, for example?"

"Rin … Matsuoka. Eighteen years old, Sa-Samezuka Academy." His body was too heavy for his arms so he lay flat again, groaning in relief. "I'm so … thirsty … and tired."

"It's alright, Rin," the doctor spoke in a soothing voice. "You can sleep now. I'll take care of your leg. Just rest, alright? You need it."

"Yeah … need to … get better … see Ai."

Rin's eyes refused to open again and his breathing evened out again. The doctor set to work on his leg in earnest, sparing only a moment to tell the waiting police all that Rin had managed to spit out. The police would check out his story and locate his family. In the mean time, Rin slept, content in the knowledge that he was getting the help he needed.

Soon, he would be well enough to see Ai again.

* * *

><p>AN: A note on merfolk biology, as according to me.  
>Being half-human, I decided to take the mammal approach with the merfolk in this story. So the merfolk don't have gills, they hold their breaths. They get their hydration mostly from the foods they eat. They eat fish and other such prey raw.<p>

I will explain merfolk family groups/societal groups in more detail later in the story, so I won't go into that here. I'll also be explaining their genitalia later on, so don't worry about it for now.

Next chapter! Rin goes back to find Ai but gets a shock instead!


	3. Chapter 3

"Brother! You should be resting!"

Rin gave a low growl of mock annoyance as Gou draped herself over him, inadvertently forcing him back down on his bed. He was sick of resting! He wanted to get up! He wanted to go find Ai!

A week had passed since Ai brought him back to the shore. One long week spent mostly in the hospital. The police had come and spoken to him for the first couple of days and Rin soon learnt that the ship wreck was a local tragedy. No-one else had made it back alive and his family had been hysterical with relief to receive the news that he was alive. Reporters wanted to speak to him but the police kept them away and Rin was glad. He didn't want that kind of publicity.

The hospital had discharged him two days ago, with strict instructions to take it easy. He was banned from swimming until his leg had completely healed and even then, the doctors urged him to see a medical professional before resuming his swimming routine. Walking was allowed but he could not run or do any strenuous activity. This pretty much translated to bed rest in his mother's mind and Rin found himself thus confined, despite his protests.

"Gou! I need to get up! I'm going crazy in here!" Rin pushed his younger sister off and she pouted at him but allowed him to stand. Rin flexed the leg a few times before resting his weight on it. He was feeling stronger every day and had decided that he could definitely handle a walk to the beach today.

Yet he wasn't about to escape the house that quickly. His mother and sister fed him breakfast and engaged him in conversation, in a not so subtle ploy to keep him sitting for a little while longer. Gou babbled on about their mutual friends in her swim club but Rin was only half listening. Those four friends had come over with Sousuke yesterday to visit, all wishing Rin well.

Gou left for school and his mother kept him so occupied that Rin wasn't able to break away from her until mid afternoon. After assuring his worrying mother that he had his phone on him and would definitely call her if he needed her, Rin slipped out the door and made his way to the beach.

His leg twinged every now and then and even though he tried to walk normally to help the muscles repair, he found himself falling into a slight limp. One train ride and a fifteen minute walk later, he found himself standing on the beach, staring out at the ocean. There were only a few people on the beach at the moment, as school had only let out a short while ago and most students would still be on their way home.

Would Ai still be visiting the beach each day? Or would he have given up after a week of nothing? Something spasmed in Rin's chest and he sincerely hoped the merman would be there.

He had so much he wanted to talk to him about.

Rin slowly picked his way across the sand, moving carefully to ensure he did not jostle or strain his leg. He headed to the right of the beach, towards the rocks and the small, almost hidden path that would lead him to the tiny cove where Ai had deposited him. The closer he got, the less people there were and Rin felt oddly reassured by this. He didn't want anyone else to find out about Ai. After all, the boy was a merman! They weren't supposed to exist.

Reaching the path, Rin glanced at his watch and sighed. He was here way too early. There was no way that Ai would be here yet, if he even showed up at all! Sighing and stepping over some fallen branches from the rough weather last night, Rin decided he could still visit and maybe leave a message if he had to go home before Ai showed up.

A soft noise reached his ears and Rin paused to listen. It sounded like … someone crying. He moved faster but with more stealth, not wanting to simply barge in on a private moment if someone was using this little cove as their own sanctuary.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight he was met with as he rounded the bend and the cove came in to view. Rin froze, his body going rigid in fear and his mouth falling open in horror. No. This couldn't be real!

"Ai!"

He scrambled down the track to the cove, no longer caring about his leg and ignoring every spasm of pain. A head lifted and blue eyes met red as Rin crashed to his knees beside the frail, prone body.

"R-Rin," Ai said weakly.

"What happened?" Rin demanded, his eyes darting everywhere as he wondered what to take in first. A shudder passed through Ai's body and Rin's heart jumped in fear.

The boy was stretched out, his lower half obviously stretching towards the water but not reaching it. The tide was out and the water level was a good metre away from the tip of Ai's body. And the boy could not get any closer. His right wrist was tangled in a mess of discarded fishing line, cutting into his skin. Thin trails of blood stained his skin from where he had struggled but the line had not broken. The other end of the fishing line was wedged between some of the rocks higher up the cove. Yet that was not the worst of it.

The scales on Ai's tail were flaking off, peeling off in great clumps and scattering on the ground. Indeed, there was hardly anything of the silvery-blue tail left. Instead, it looked like …

The boy scratched frantically at some scales near his hip and Rin could only stare as the scales fell away, revealing what he could only describe as human skin underneath.

"You need water," Rin said but Ai gasped in horror.

"No! Don't!" he cried and Rin froze in confusion.

"But … Your tail!"

"It's too late for that! Please, Rin! Trust me. Help me free my arm!"

That was something he could do. Even if Rin didn't understand the mind blowing things that were transpiring right in front of him, he knew how to work with knots. He followed the fishing line up to where it was trapped in the rocks but it was even more of a mess here than it was around Ai's wrist. But he got to work, snarling under his breath and untangling knot after knot as Ai cried quietly and scratched at his scales.

"Almost got it," Rin said after some time. The fishing line abruptly broke and the end that had been stringing Ai up fell slack. The boy moaned in pain and Rin hurried to him, helping to move the arm back to a comfortable position. "Now …"

Rin's voice trailed off as he glanced down at Ai's tail. Or rather, where his tail had once been. In its place were two pale, very naked and very human legs. He flushed bright red as his eyes travelled higher, confirming that Ai was indeed naked and indeed male.

"What the hell?" Rin cried and jerked away.

"Rin, please listen!" Ai said, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks.

"What is this? How the hell is this possible?" Rin yelled and the boy pulled away, cowering. "I thought you were a merman!"

"Rin! Don't yell!" Ai's gaze darted about but Rin was too shocked to understand the risks.

"No, I want to know how this is possible! Tell me! What the hell is going on?"

"I'm trying to tell you!" Ai yelled back abruptly and Rin froze in surprise. "So let me! Please! Come back so I can tell you!"

Rin hesitated. He wasn't ready for this. It felt like far too much to take in, too much of a burden to comprehend. Yet he owed it Ai. The boy had saved his life and brought him back to safety. The least Rin could do was hear him out. So he tentatively moved forward and eased himself down beside the boy, barely able to tear his eyes away from either the scales on the ground or the naked, human legs that shouldn't be there.

"All merfolk are taught about this from a very young age," Ai spoke softly. "If we leave the water for too long and our tails dry out, we will lose them. It's a very painful process, as I'm sure you could tell. Once we have lost our tails, our legs are exposed and we are, essentially human. But if we return to the ocean, our tails will grow back. That is also painful and takes a bit of time. My mother told me the ocean made us like this as a warning. We have the chance to live as humans if we want. But there is a price for that and we should not take it lightly. That is why it hurts to lose our tails and it hurts to get them back."

"Why didn't you want me to put water on you?" Rin asked numbly. "If that's all it will take to grow your tail back, why would you stop me?"

"Because I can't go back," Ai replied and Rin suddenly realised that the boy was exhausted. "I'm too weak. It's too far to swim to my home. I'd never make it. A shark would finish me off before I got anywhere near home. I'm stuck here."

Tears welled in those blue eyes and slowly spilled down his cheeks. Ai lowered his head to stare at his wrist and Rin realised he hadn't taken the fishing line off it yet. He reached out, gently grasping Ai's arm and pulling it into his own lap before beginning to untangle the fishing line.

"There's more than that, isn't there? What are you worried about, sharks attacking you because of this injury? I wouldn't think it's bad enough to attract sharks. What are you hiding, Ai?"

A small sob escaped the boy's mouth before he pulled his arm away and twisted his body with a wince. Rin gasped. A deep gash ran up the left side of the boy's back. Ai turned back and miserably held his hand out for Rin to finish with the fishing line.

"Ai … What happened to you?"

"I came to wait for you last night. But the ocean was upset because of the wild weather above it. I was too close to the surface and the shore at the same time. I should have known better. A fishing hook got caught in my back and when I tried to pull it out, my wrist got stuck in the line. I managed to yank the hook out and immediately swam here for safety. But … the waves drove me up against the rocks. And the line got caught. I couldn't get free. I-I tried. But I couldn't! I was trapped here! And you never came! And I didn't know what to do! I waited and waited but … nothing."

"Aiichirou. I'm so sorry," Rin whispered as guilt wrenched through him. "You were trapped here all day, with no food and no water?"

"The tide didn't get too low until just now, which is why I lost my tail. I was wet for the rest of the time. But … yes. Rin, I'm so tired and it hurts so much!"

Rin finished untangling the fishing line around Ai's wrist and tossed it aside. Fresh blood began to ooze out from thin cuts and Rin shrugged his jacket off. It took a bit more of a struggle than it had with his shirt but he finally succeeded in tearing a sleeve off. He tied the sleeve around the injured wrist before looking back at Ai's face.

"What now? If you can't go back to the ocean yet, what do we do?" Rin knew what he wanted to do, he wanted to take care of Ai! But he needed to know that the boy was willing to let him do that, first. Ai glanced away.

"I don't know. You're the human."

"Do you want me to look after you, to take you somewhere safe?"

Ai's head whipped up so fast that Rin could practically feel the whiplash. His eyes widened hopefully and in that moment, Rin knew he would never be able to deny this boy anything he wanted.

"Would you do that? Really?"

"Of course, idiot," Rin said even as his mind raced. Where could he take Ai? If he took him home, his mother would fuss and Gou would ask too many questions. But where else was safe for a merman-turned-human? Who did he know that lived alone and would keep a secret?

Haru.

"Ai. Let me see your back again," Rin ordered and the boy leant forward. A cursory check over confirmed that the bleeding had stopped for now but too much movement would probably disturb it again. Casually slinging what was left of his jacket over Ai's naked lap, Rin pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Haru.

"What are you doing? What is that?" Ai asked, unable to hide the curiosity in his voice despite the situation.

"This is called a phone. It lets me talk to people that aren't here with me. I'm calling my friend, Haru. He might be able to help us."

Of course, they would only find that out if Haru decided to answer his damn phone! It rang out and Rin cursed, not bothering to leave a message. Fine. If Haru wasn't going to answer his phone, Rin would just ask him in person!

"We're going to Haru's house," he said firmly. "Here, can you stand?"

"Stand?" Ai looked incredibly nervous. "I don't know. I … I've never lost my tail before."

"It's alright, I'm here."

Ai reached out and took Rin's hands, allowing the older boy to help him to his feet. The merman swayed on his feet but didn't fall over straight away, which Rin counted as an achievement. Freeing one hand from Ai's grip, he picked up his jacket from where it had fallen before placing both of Ai's hands on his shoulders. He wrapped the open jacket around Ai's hips and zipped it up, blushing as he tried not to stare.

"Okay. Let's go."

It quickly became apparent that Ai could not walk. He wanted to move his legs together, not independently and he had too many near falls for Rin to consider it a good idea to continue. Besides, the boy was too exhausted. He wouldn't make it. Gritting his teeth together in frustration and hoping his leg wouldn't give out, Rin suddenly grasped Ai and swung him up into his arms.

"Rin?" Ai squeaked. "What are you doing?"

"You can't walk and you're exhausted. This is wasting time! I'll carry you. Alright?"

There may have been a slight growl in Rin's voice but Ai said nothing further in protest so Rin started walking. He carried the boy up out of the cove and onto the beach. He avoided the scattered people on the sand, picking up speed as soon as he hit the footpath. Haru's house wasn't far from here. It wouldn't take too long to reach it. Hopefully they wouldn't encounter too many people and if they did, hopefully no-one would question why he was carrying a naked and injured boy through the streets of Iwatobi.

Ai gradually relaxed as he walked, whether because he felt comfortable or he was simply too tired to remain tense, Rin couldn't tell. But he let his head fall against Rin's collarbone and the red-head glanced down, feeling a strange rush of affection.

Rin counted it a veritable miracle that no-one stopped them to question him. The streets were fairly deserted as he climbed the stairs that led to Haru's house, ignoring the way his leg throbbed. Finally standing outside the house, he awkwardly rang the doorbell several times. Nothing.

"Haru!" Rin called but the house remained silent. Cursing under his breath, he carried Ai around the back. He knew Haru rarely bothered to lock the back door and this was confirmed as he tried it and it slid open easily. He entered without hesitation, heading straight for the bathroom, where Haru kept his first aid kit.

The wound on Ai's back had reopened by the time Rin sat the boy down on the edge of the bath. His smooth face was pale and he swayed dangerously as Rin scrambled through the cupboard, wrenching the first aid kit out with fierce determination. The red-head rushed back to Ai, kneeling in front of him as he opened the kit.

"Turn for me," he said gently, lightly angling Ai's shoulders so he could see the wound. He winced; the hook had certainly done its damaging, lodging firmly in the flesh and tearing a strip up Ai's back as it pulled free. Rin didn't exactly feel qualified to treat this wound but he didn't think he could take the boy to a hospital. What if they ran a blood test and found something abnormal? It was too dangerous to risk, so Rin was simply going to have to do his best.

At least the strip of skin that had been torn was still attached to Ai's back. That was a good thing, Rin knew from his basic first aid lessons. Yet it could be dangerous if it wasn't cleaned out properly.

Rin abruptly picked the boy up. Ai looked up in surprise as he was lowered from the edge of the bath to sit in the tub.

"I need to wash your back," Rin explained. "It might hurt, so just bear with me."

He set to work, preparing a bowl of hot water with antiseptic in it. Muttering reassurances to the exhausted merman, Rin started to bathe the wound, carefully working the antiseptic under the flap of skin. Ai let out small cries of pain and Rin found himself hushing the boy and trying to comfort him. Ai abruptly slumped, letting his head fall against Rin's shoulder as he shuddered through the pain.

Rin was sure he was doing a terrible job. Yet it was finally done. He had cleaned the wound, applied an antiseptic cream, covered it in dressings and bandaged around his entire torso. He sighed in relief as he sat back, observing his handiwork.

"There. It's done."

Ai raised his head slowly to meet Rin's gaze.

"Thank you, Rin," he said weakly. "Thank you."

"I'm not quite done yet," Rin replied gruffly. "Let me see your wrist."

These wounds were much easier to take care of and it wasn't long before Rin was wrapping a small bandage around the damaged wrist. He stood up, quickly packing the rubbish and first aid kit up before pausing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"I'll be back in a minute. I'm just gonna find a towel for you."

By the time Rin returned with a towel, Ai was slumped in the bath, eyes closed and chest rising gently as he slept. A small smile tugged at his face and Rin suddenly felt rather reluctant to disturb the boy. But the jacket around Ai's waist was soaked in bloody antiseptic water and Rin couldn't let him stay in that.

Ai didn't stir as he stripped the jacket off him – resolutely not looking at his groin – and wrapped him in the towel. Rin carried him to the master bedroom and carefully slid Ai under the covers. The boy twitched and wriggled against the mattress, pressing his face into the soft pillows as a sigh escaped his lips. Rin sat on the end of the bed and allowed himself to finally begin to process these startling turn of events.

He had a merman in Haru's house. A merman that had saved his life and kissed him. A merman that had lost his tail and turned into a very human looking boy. A very beautiful boy.

Rin shook his head, trying to dislodge those thoughts but they persisted and his eyes drifted back to Ai's sleeping face. He couldn't deny it anymore. He had to face up to it.

Aiichirou was beautiful and Rin wanted nothing more than to feel those lips on his again.

* * *

><p>Haru knew something was different about his house the moment he set foot inside. His nose wrinkled, catching hints of what could only be antiseptic in the air. He followed the acrid scent to the bathroom but found nothing there. Confused, Haru continued to explore the rest of his house.<p>

The door to his parent's old bedroom was opened and he stopped there, staring in. Haru blinked in surprise, wondering why there was a strange boy lying in the bed with Rin lying at the foot of the bed. After a moment of staring and thinking, he still couldn't come up with an answer so he decided to ask for one.

"Rin."

He shot awake at the sound of his name being called. Head still spinning from sitting up so quickly, Rin turned and instantly saw Haru standing in the doorway. Panic rose in Rin and he wondered what on earth he was going to say to explain all this.

"Uh …"

Haru glanced at Ai, back at Rin, then turned and walked away. Rin was momentarily confused but soon realised that Haru was probably telling him to come talk somewhere else. So he followed, closing the bedroom door half-way. Haru stood in the hallway, watching Rin and waiting expectantly.

That steady gaze of Haru's had always unnerved Rin and before he knew what he was doing, he found the entire story spilling off his lips. He told Haru the truth, from waking up in the cave to discovering Ai was a merman, to finding him caught and injured on the beach today. When Rin finally fell silent, he looked at Haru nervously. It sounded insane. Merfolk weren't real! Haru knew that and would refuse to let Ai stay!

"So you want him to stay here, because it's just me here and you trust me?" Haru asked and Rin blinked, surprised at so many words coming from the other boy's mouth at once.

"Y-yeah."

"Okay."

"Wait, does that mean you believe me? That he's … a merman?"

"Of course," Haru said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"But mermaids aren't real!" Rin exclaimed. Haru just stared at him and Rin huffed, realising how ridiculous he sounded. "I mean … I know they are now. But you haven't seen any proof and you're just going to believe me?"

"I've always known mermaids were real," was Haru's response. Rin stared, wondering how he was meant to react to that! But then again, this was Haru he was talking about. Considering the other boy's utter obsession with water and swimming, he probably shouldn't be surprised to hear such a statement from his lips.

"Right. Of course. So, it's really fine?" Rin had to ask just once more, just to make sure. Haru rolled his eyes and began to walk to his room.

"Go check on him," he said and Rin decided to do just that.

Ai was stirring when he walked back in to the room. Glancing at the time and figuring the boy had probably had enough rest for now and that they should get some food into him, Rin sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook his shoulder.

"Ai. Wake up." The boy jerked awake, head whipping up to stare at Rin with wide, alarmed eyes. "Hey, take it easy. You're safe. We're at Haru's house, remember?"

"H-Haru?" Ai said, still disoriented and Rin nodded.

"It's alright. He's agreed to let you stay. And Ai …" Rin swallowed hard, not sure how the boy would take this news. "I'm sorry but I told him the truth about you."

"What?" The silvery-blue haired boy shot upright, horror on his face. "No, no-one can know! I'm not even meant to leave the sea! Rin, why would you tell him?"

"He had to know! Haru would notice you not having any clothes and not being able to walk and he would know that something was up! Not to mention that you probably don't even know what you're lying in right now, do you?" Ai glanced at the bed and blushed in shame. "I didn't want to tell him, Ai. But if there's anyone who can keep a secret like this, it's Haru!"

"Well, you obviously can't," Ai muttered and Rin pulled back, stunned by the bold comment.

"Are you hungry?" Both boys looked up to see Haru standing in the doorway. "I'm making mackerel."

"Mackerel?" Ai said eagerly, leaning forward with enthusiasm.

"Haru, do you have some spare clothes for Ai?" Rin asked and the other boy disappeared, returning a moment later with a pair of shorts and a shirt. He handed them over before disappearing downstairs. Rin turned to help Ai dress but stopped short at the upset pout the boy was giving him.

"Do you want my help or not?" Rin asked. Ai looked for a moment like he was going to continue being stubborn before his expression faltered and he sighed. Rin came closer and silently helped him dress in the foreign clothes.

"I didn't actually think you'd come back." Ai's voice was so soft that Rin almost missed it but the words made him freeze. "After what I did … I thought you must hate me."

"What you did?" Rin asked in confusion but his mind was quick to shove the memory of Ai kissing him to the forefront. Heat flushed through him and he looked down, mildly irritated with himself for being so easily affect. "Oh. That. I don't hate you, Ai. You saved my life."

"You … don't hate me?" _That _was irritating and Rin rolled his eyes. How could this boy be so constantly uncertain about himself?

"I just said that, didn't I?" he retorted but Ai ignored his snark.

"So, you wouldn't mind doing it again?"

The question was so innocent, almost childlike. Rin sputtered as his eyes snapped up to gaze at Ai in amazement. There was no denying that he had wasted a lot of time in hospital remembering the feel of Ai's lips against his and wondering what it would be like to give the boy a proper kiss. But to ask the question so shamelessly! Rin was at a loss for how to respond.

Ai blushed and looked away, a 'never mind' muttered under his breath. The scent of sizzling food rose up to them and Rin decided this was neither the time or place for that particular conversation. Making some comment about going downstairs for food, Rin awkwardly picked Ai up and carried him down to the living room.

He had no idea how he was going to make it through this meal and the rest of the evening but there was no way he could leave Ai here with Haru just yet. Rin couldn't explain it but for some reason, he felt incredibly protective of the vulnerable merman. And he was going to protect him, no matter what it took.


	4. Chapter 4

Ai smiled a thank you to Haru as the quiet youth served him breakfast. It was grilled mackerel, the same as the night before, yet Ai was not bothered by this in the slightest. He ate hungrily, relishing the enhanced flavours that cooking something produced.

Last night had been a wonderful time of questions and discovery. Ai had decided to overlook his anger towards Rin for spilling his secret and instead focus on exploring the human world. Haru answered a few questions but was silent for the most part, leaving Rin to explain all the intricacies of human life to the young merman.

After dinner, Rin had received a somewhat frantic phone call and Ai had been utterly fixated on the phone as he watched Rin rant and apologise to whoever had called him. With the call over, Rin said he had to leave but he would be back the next day to take care of Ai. So he carried the merman upstairs to the master bedroom and made Ai promise to call Haru if he needed anything before leaving.

Haru was currently preparing for something called school. Apparently, he had to get ready before Makoto got here. Ai didn't know who Makoto was but he wasn't particularly bothered by this either.

"Ai. You still hungry?" Haru asked as he looked out from the kitchen. Ai shook his head.

"No thank you, Haru! It was delicious!" he answered enthusiastically and Haru just nodded with the same blank expression on his face. A few minutes later, Haru was ready for school and was sitting briefly with Ai when the doorbell rang.

Humans had the most peculiar but wonderful inventions!

"I have to go now," Haru said. "Rin should be here soon. Will you be alright til then?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," Ai replied with a smile. "Thank you very much for letting me stay here, Haru!"

The quiet youth nodded and stood, leaving the house quiet and empty behind him. Ai sat on the floor of the living room, suddenly unsure what to do. If Rin would be here soon, maybe he should just wait. Or perhaps he should practice walking so he could surprise Rin!

His legs were not weak, they were simply not used to walking like a human. He had practiced some last night, despite Rin's alarmed protests. His efforts had had been amusing to say the least and had even drawn a smile from Haru. Yet Ai persisted, refusing to be defeated. His injured back and wrist were not enough to keep him down; he would learn to walk!

Ai threw himself into the task, massaging his legs to get the blood flowing before attempting to stand. His legs were wobbly and his arms flung out for support but he was standing! A nervous smile cracked his face and he took a deep breath before extending a foot. His body wobbled and his knees threatened to drop him but Ai found it much more controlled than the night before. His smile got larger and larger as he took more steps, gradually feeling more comfortable on his feet.

"Ai?"

He jumped and cried out in fright. His legs betrayed him and Ai fell in an ungraceful heap on the ground, eyes wide as he stared up towards the owner of the voice. Rin stared back at him and Ai blinked in confusion. When had Rin arrived?

"R-Rin!"

"You were walking! You're doing so well!" Rin said with a lopsided grin and Ai felt his confidence returning, even as his heart panged. The red-head walked over and offered Ai a hand. "Well? Are you gonna give up that easily?"

"No, of course not!"

Under Rin's careful supervision, Ai continued to practice walking. Half an hour later, he was walking rather well and without any help at all. He laughed and tried a fast walk before a little run.

"Woah, take it easy!" Rin said as Ai stumbled. Strong arms caught Ai before he could fall and he found himself staring up into Rin's bright eyes. Ai's heart panged again and he thought back to the conversation he had with Rin before dinner the night before. He had more or less asked Rin if he could kiss him again. Rin had seemed so shocked by the proposition, stuttering and his eyebrows furrowing. Ai wondered whether it was worth the risk or not.

"Uh, Ai?" Rin asked and the boy realised he had been staring for too long. Well, he had already made things a little awkward. Why not go the extra step?

Ai stretched up, fingers holding onto Rin's biceps for balance as he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to the older boy's mouth. Rin's lips were soft and Ai found himself memorising everything about them. He wanted more, wanted to go further! But Rin was sputtering and pulling away, almost shoving Ai away from him.

"What the hell!" Rin cried and held Ai at arm's length, expression guarded. Ai felt his heart plummet to his feet. Perhaps he had been wrong. Perhaps Rin didn't feel the same way after all.

"I'm sorry," he said, staring down with suddenly blushing cheeks. "You obviously didn't like it. I should have known, I should have been able to tell that weren't interested in me. I'm sorry, Rin. I hope you can forgive me for this."

"Woah, hold up!" Rin said before rubbing his forehead. "Geeze. Just … sit down, okay?"

Ai reluctantly sat and Rin sat opposite him, left elbow leaning on the table in the room as he regarded Ai with an expression that the boy couldn't read.

"Aiichirou." His heart sank even further. If Rin was using his full name, how bad could this conversation be? "I don't really know why you did that just now. And I never said that I didn't like it! But you didn't even warn me before you did it and it took me by surprise. Not to mention that we still don't know very much about each other. You have to remember, I'm a human and you're a merman! I don't know what you meant by that kiss just now. For humans it means one thing but I don't know if it means the same for merfolk. So why would you kiss me?"

Rin's cheeks were tinged with pink and Ai wondered what Rin had to be embarrassed about. Rin wasn't the one who had done anything wrong! Still, Rin had asked him a question and Ai had to answer it as honestly as he could.

"It … means that I like you." He stared at the floor, hands clenching tightly as utter vulnerability swept over him. Was he really going to confess all of this to Rin, right now? Ai didn't think he was very good with words. Wasn't that the point of the kiss, to let it do the talking for you? "It means that I want to keep you for myself. I want to kiss you and I value you …"

"Is it a romantic gesture?" Rin asked. "Is it something you do with a lot of people or-"

"No! I've never done it with anyone else before! But you're different to everyone else. I've never felt …" Ai trailed off, his face positively on flames. He was too embarrassed to continue.

"And what if after a while you realised you didn't want to do that kind of thing to me anymore?" Rin asked. "Does that happen?"

"Yes, it happens sometimes. It can take a long time to find your life mate."

Rin was quiet for a little while, as though letting this information sink in. Ai risked a glance up and quickly looked away again as he was faced with Rin's intense stare.

"It's the same for humans then, I guess," Rin eventually spoke up. "Humans kiss when they have romantic feelings for each other. And it means all the other stuff you said, I guess." Rin cleared his throat and Ai felt the intensity of that gaze leave his skin. Looking up, he saw that Rin was staring at the wall with a deep blush on his face.

"Does that mean … do you like me, Rin?"

"Gee, how can ask something like that so easily?" Rin growled, still refusing to look at Ai. Hope sparked in the boy and he decided to press a little harder, make himself just a little more vulnerable.

"Well, I like you. I've known right from the start. And I hoped you liked me too. But I understand if you don't. I'm not that amazing or anything."

"Hey!" Rin's head snapped around, eyes narrowing as he focused on Ai. "Don't ever say that about yourself! You are smart and brave and incredibly amazing! How could you even doubt that? You risked exposing yourself to humans when you saved my life! How is that not amazing?"

The storm of emotions that swept over Ai could not be expressed through words alone. He let his eyes widen a little as he met Rin's fierce gaze and hope sparked inside him. If Rin thought those things about him …

"You think I'm amazing?" he asked, just to hear it again. Rin's blush deepened and he glanced away.

"Are you deaf or something? I just said that, didn't I?" Joy sparked through Ai and he began to lean forward.

"Then you … feel the same way?"

Rin grumbled something under his breath but Ai couldn't make the words out.

"Rin? Can I kiss you?" The red-head flinched and Ai hesitated. Rin had the strangest reactions to things and the merman found himself wondering yet again if he had read the signs incorrectly, if he was wrong. But Rin shrugged and glanced off to the side again.

"I guess, if you want."

Those short, simple words were all the permission Ai needed. A gasp left his lips as hope bloomed through his entire body and he lunged forward, practically throwing himself into Rin's lap as he grabbed the older boy by the face and kissed him. Rin's cry of alarm was lost in the kiss and Ai pulled himself closer, completely lost in the intimacy.

This was perfect!

* * *

><p>Holy shit. Holy shit! Aiichirou was in his lap, clinging to him as he kissed the absolute <em>shit<em> out of Rin! How could it be possible that Ai had never done this with anyone else? He was such a good kisser! Not that Rin had much experience to go by himself, but it didn't matter! He was breathless and light-headed as the silvery-blue haired boy let out a small noise of pleasure and pressed closer.

How did he even end up in this situation? Rin had been fully prepared to face an Aiichirou that was still pissed at him for sharing his secret with Haru! Yet the way Ai was kissing him told Rin that the boy had long forgotten that argument.

Why was Rin even questioning such good fortune when it quite literally jumped into his lap? He should be reciprocating and showing Ai that he enjoyed it and welcomed it! Instead he was just sitting here like a rock! What was wrong with him?

Rin slowly brought his hands up, resting them on Ai's sides. The boy shivered and settled more comfortably in Rin's laps, slim legs slung on either side as he straddled the red-head. A soft tongue flicked across Rin's lips and he gasped more out of shock than a desire to deepen the kiss. Yet Ai seized it, pushing his tongue into the slight opening and engaging Rin's mouth in an intricate dance.

That did it. There was no way Rin was just going to sit back and let Ai dominate every aspect of this … relationship? It didn't matter, he could define it later! For now, he needed to take control of the situation.

Rin returned the kiss fiercely, finally reciprocating and clearly startling the boy in his lap. Ai let out a noise of surprise as Rin pressed out with his own tongue, wrestling against Ai's until the boy surrendered and they were in Ai's mouth. Rin brought a hand up to grasp Ai's head as he angled his own and thrust his tongue in deeper. The boy whimpered and let his hands fall to Rin's shoulders in submission. Rin wrapped his other arm around Ai's waist and hugged the boy tightly against his body, revelling in the way that slim form shuddered against him, and utterly entranced by the way he tasted.

They were both desperate for air and despite the fact they could breathe through their noses, Rin slowly eased the frantic pace of the kiss until he separated their mouths, staring deeply into Ai's wide blue eyes.

"How was that?" he asked in what he hoped was a sultry voice.

"Rin!" Ai cried and abruptly buried his face in the red-head's neck. Rin laughed, suddenly feeling a bit more at ease and a little less awkward about this whole thing. Sure, he still wasn't sure what this thing _was_ but it didn't matter so much. He clearly was the one with more experience here so it was his responsibility to take the lead.

They lingered there for some time, just enjoying the moment as the lingering tendrils of passion faded away. Rin gently prodded Ai back at length, shifting the boy to sit on the ground rather than his lap. Clearing his throat and shooting Ai a glance, Rin wondered where they went from here.

"Well, that was unexpected," he admitted and Ai blushed again.

"I'm sorry, Rin. I-"

"What the hell are you apologising for now? You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't apologise! Got that?" Ai blinked up at him and Rin found himself restraining the urge to kiss the adorable boy again. "Uh, so, anyway, what do you want to do today?"

Ai seemed more comfortable once the conversation strayed away from them and their strange relationship. After discussing a few different options, Rin decided to introduce Ai to the wonderful world of television. The onslaught of questions that instantly fell upon him had him wishing that he had chosen something easier, like board games. But he humoured Ai, explaining everything as best he could and trying not to laugh whenever Ai touched the screen and asked for the tenth time if the people on the TV weren't just small and living inside there, or if they could hear Ai calling to them.

By the time midday rolled around, they had spent most of their time alternating between watching TV and just talking to each other. Rin was currently sprawled on his back, not bothering to watch the screen anymore. Ai lounged on top of him, blue eyes fixed to the screen as some documentary droned on about deserts.

Rin felt so relaxed and so comfortable with Ai. But it couldn't last. He knew that, even as he tried to suppress such thoughts and lock them in the recesses of his mind. Ai was a merman and Rin was a human. It could never work between them. Ai had to return to the ocean and Rin had to go back to his life.

"How's your back?" Rin asked when the documentary cut to ads. Ai glanced down and shrugged.

"It's still sore. Haru checked it for me this morning but he didn't say if anything was wrong or not. But I think it's healing well."

"Can I check?" Rin asked and Ai nodded. They both sat up and Ai turned away, tugging his shirt off so Rin could see the wound more easily.

The bandages were gently pried away and Rin peeked in at the wound. The skin was red and swollen and hot to touch. Yet the flap of skin hadn't pulled away from the wound and Rin couldn't see any dirt in it. He covered the injury back up.

"I think it's okay. But let me know if you start to feel hot or sick or anything, okay? I wanna make sure it doesn't get infected."

"Alright," Ai agreed and smiled up at Rin. "Can we have some food? I'm hungry."

Rin agreed to prepare some lunch and headed into the kitchen to do so. He scowled as he checked the cupboards and the fridge; did Haru seriously not have anything other than damned mackerel?! Scraping together was few ingredients he could, Rin quickly whipped up a basic lunch and carried it out to Ai.

The merman was walking again, exercising his legs and looking more and more sturdy with each step. Rin smiled and called him over before reminding Ai to put his shirt back on. The boy blinked, as though he had forgotten shirts existed, before complying.

They ate mostly in silence, the TV droning away in the background. Rin's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to see a text from his mother. He sighed as he read it. His mother had decided he was well enough to return to school tomorrow. That meant his time with Ai was even more limited.

"Ai," Rin said as they finished their food. He switched the TV off and Ai looked slightly apprehensive. "Do you think you're well enough to go back to the ocean yet? Do you feel strong enough for that?"

The boy's face fell and Rin felt pain in his heart at that expression. Neither of them wanted to separate but it had to happen sooner or later. Perhaps it was better this way, to separate before their relationship got too intense. It would be easier.

"I didn't think I had to go back so soon," Ai said softly. "I thought I could stay here for a while."

"Of course I want you to stay. But I have to go back to school tomorrow and you can't live with Haru forever. You'd be left alone all day every day and you'd get bored out of your brains. So we have to think about you going back."

Ai frowned before stretching his arms above his head, twisting his body this way and that. Rin didn't need to be told the boy was testing his range of movement for swimming. Pain twinged across his face and Ai faltered before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I can't go back yet. I wouldn't be able to swim far enough to get home."

"It's not your fault so don't apologise for it," Rin said gruffly. What had happened to Ai to make him feel like he always had to apologise? "Well then, what will we do with you?"

"I could …" Ai hesitated and shook his head. "No, never mind."

"What? What were you gonna say?" Rin pressed and the boy sighed before giving in.

"Could I come with you? To school? I'm very curious about it and you said you live there normally. I'd like to see where you live."

Rin blinked, not having expected this! Yet he could instantly see the appeal and why Ai would want to come with him. His imagination leapt ahead, imagining Ai in the Samezuka uniform. Ai meeting his friends, Ai fitting into Rin's human world. Ai hanging out with Rin in his room. Ai sliding closer to kiss him. Ai gasping for breath as Rin pinned him down to the bed, completely alone in the dorm room with all the time in the world-

Sousuke's face loomed into Rin's fantasies and a growl slipped past his lips. Dammit! He had forgotten about his roommate!

"R-Rin?" Ai asked nervously and the red-head abruptly wrenched himself back into reality.

"Ah, it's nothing. I was just thinking," Rin tried to brush it off. "Ai, I would love for you to come my school with me. But even if you did, I doubt you'd be allowed to any of my classes with me so you'd be alone in my room all day, just the same as it would be if you stayed here."

"But … you live there, don't you?" Ai asked timidly.

"Well, yeah."

"Then, you wouldn't have as far to go to see me once you finished your classes, would you?"

That sparked another fantasy in Rin's mind. Him rushing back from his last class to change into his swimmers and grab Ai before running to practice. Ai would sit on the bleachers and watch him as he swam, calling out encouragement to him! It would be so-

Rin shook his head to dislodge the fantasy. Ai was still staring at him, a mildly confused expression on the boy's face.

"How many more days do you think it will be before you are well enough to swim?" Rin asked and Ai thought it over before responding.

"Two? Maybe three? I'm not sure."

"Alright. How about this? I can't promise that you'd be allowed to even stay in my room while I'm at class, but I can at least smuggle you in. I have friends that will help me hide you if need be. So yes, you can come to my school with me, if you think you're up to all that walking! It's a lot of walking to get there, Ai, and you're already injured and tired. I don't want you to do more than you can handle."

"I can walk that far, it'll be fine!" Ai instantly cried as his face lit up. "You'll see, I'll be fine! Please Rin, please let me come with you!"

"Geeze, you sure are eager," Rin said with a chuckle before leaning in and kissing the boy. Ai responded excitedly, trying to deepen the kiss but Rin pulled back. "Steady there. It won't be long before Haru gets back. I'm sure you don't want him to walk in on us making out, do you?"

"No," Ai confirmed with a light blush.

"Exactly." The boy looked so disappointed that Rin felt his resolve wavering. Sighing and giving a light grumble, he wrapped an arm around Ai and tugged him close. The boy glanced up in surprise.

"Rin?"

"We can still hug, idiot."

Ai smiled and hugged him tightly. Rin huffed but returned the embrace, more than content to rest his chin on Ai's head and linger there. Perhaps he was making things harder for himself by allowing Ai to come back with him to school. He could already feel how attached he was getting to the beautiful merman. Yet Rin couldn't help it. Perhaps if Ai hadn't kissed him today he would have been able to resist. But it was too late for that. He had gotten a taste and now he felt as though he would starve with just a little more of silvery-blue haired boy.

One way or another, Rin would allow himself to be selfish and steal a bit more of Ai's time for himself. Until the boy had to return to the ocean, Rin would make the most of every single moment they spent together.

With this thought in mind, Rin tipped Ai's head back and kissed him slowly. They had at least an hour before Haru would be home. And an hour spent kissing Ai sounded like the most wonderful thing in the entire world.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: Ai goes to Samezuka with Rin!<strong>


End file.
